The Wonders of PsychologyJibbsfest
by jibbsloversunited
Summary: Jibbsfest uses Psychology to explore Jenny and Gibbs!
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to the April 2009 Jibbsfest! (I have no idea what number we're on)

The theme this time around is psychology…curtsey of 323, this one is not nearly as scientific as last time and I do hope everyone can join in. Without further ado the Prompts

**You must include…**

**-Freudian Slips**

**-Marriage (any form of the word or phrase alluding to it, they don't have to be married, Gibbs has enough ex-wives)**

**-Paperclip **

**-Someone gives Gibbs decaf coffee**

**The Due Date: April 22****nd****, 2009 MIDNIGHT Easter Standard Time. **(The stories aren't going up until the 23rd midday, I'm going to watch DisneyNature Films Earth.)

And just for clarification and because we will have a lot of new authors joining us, I'm posting the rules.

**The Rules Redux**

All stories must be emailed to the person in charge (Aserene), if you don't have the email it is on the profile. The subject must contain **Jibbsfest and Your Username**

All stories must have title format of some kind, that must include the following: **Title, Author, and Rating. (Disclaimers as well, even though we'll through a blanket disclaimer at the beginning) **

DO NOT repost your story underneath your own account. Once you send it to the person in charge you agree to have it posted under **Jibbsloverunited** in a collection. Failure to comply with this will result in the deletion of both your own account and Jibbsloversunited and since more than person use that account, big trouble. This is a rule to ensure people aren't plagiarizing; they will be the ones punishing us.

Please check for spelling and grammar, there are plenty of people here willing to be betas including me.

Any questions? PM Aserene.

And try to have fun guys, I realize it's asking a lot. ;)


	2. Find My Way Back To You

Title: Find My Way Back To You

Author: Shaneequa

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own them, some lucky person on Earth does.

Summary: The road back to each other's hearts.

Author's Note: First shot at a 'jibbsfest'. Happy reading!

Pt. 1

Jethro Gibbs was walking up the stairs when he spotted Jenny rushing into her office. Curious, he took three steps at a time to get to her office quickly. He passed Cynthia who by now was tired of even trying to stop him from going inside Jenny's office, unannounced and without knocking. He knew if he had, it would probably give them a coronary.

"Hey Jenny," Gibbs greeted as soon as he got through the door and shutting it behind him.

Jenny looked up at him, her hair was sticky in some places, and part of her make up was smudged. He would dismiss it as the temperature and the fact that the air conditioner in the building was turned on as high as it could and only cooled them off about ten degrees.

"Not in the mood, Jethro," Jenny replied walking to the inner office bathroom with the full intention of washing her face at the sink.

"You're always in the mood, Jen."

"Why are you so smug today? Do you enjoy the fact that I look like a mess and it's 100 degrees out there?"

"Dunno whatcha talking about, Jenny."

"Urgh, Jethro," Jenny said in defeat running cold water in the sink and splashing her face with it, loving the cold feeling against her skin.

"You know, that does nothing but make you face hotter later on."

"It feels good right now," Jenny stated taking one of the towels stashed nearby and running it under cold water.

Gibbs just stood there watching her. She snapped her fingers in front of him to get his attention.

"Jethro, you okay?"

Gibbs nodded not quite trusting his voice.

"Then why were you a hundred miles from here?"

"Thinking."

"Shannon and Kelly?" Jenny guessed. She was sure that she was right when she assumed that he was thinking about Shannon and Kelly. True that it had been so long since they had died but his life seemed to revolve around his wife and his daughter.

Gibbs shook his head though, surprising her.

"Thinking about how beautiful you look."

_Shouldn't have said that_, Gibbs said to himself mentally giving himself a head slap. He didn't wait for her reaction to his little slip, walking out of her office and into the bullpen immediately.

Jenny glanced at herself in front of the mirror admitting to herself that she looked like one hot piece of trash. But the simple fact that Gibbs thought she was beautiful even then brought a smile to her face.

Pt. 2

Jenny threw her head back laughing at the ridiculous assumptions stated in the latest Stars and Stripes. The previous night, she had Gibbs escorting her to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. It was held the night before his birthday and she knew that he would just be sanding his boat. So, she gave him the job of being her escort and detail for the night. She didn't fail to notice that he was wearing a wedding band like he did every year on that day. It was the wedding band from his first marriage, with Shannon. Coincidentally, she was wearing the ring he had given her in Paris.

_Because it matched my theme_, she reasoned with herself.

A reporter who had gone to cover the event had assumed that because of their close proximity and the rings on their left ring finger (which didn't match in the slightest) that they were married, or at least engaged.

Jenny found this assumption hilarious for some reason. Never in her life did she think she would ever become 'Mrs. Gibbs,' much less 'Ex-Mrs. Gibbs.'

Apparently, she wasn't the only one who read the morning's must reads because that very same morning, Gibbs had called her about what he read on the newspaper, inviting her to coffee with the excuse of "needing to talk about it."

They met at their most favored café, not the stereotypical Starbucks that was literally at every corner, but a Mom and Pop café that they frequented even when she was just a probie.

That's where they found themselves at midday on a Saturday morning on Gibbs' birthday.

"Can you image me," Jenny said chuckling at the image that went into her head. "As an ex-wife?"

Gibbs shook his head taking a sip of his coffee. He never saw her as another ex-wife because he figured that if would ever marry her, she would be it.

"So, what are you plans for the day?" Jenny asked him as they finished their second and third cup of their favorite Jamaican Blend coffee.

Gibbs shrugs as if to say 'no.'

"It's your birthday," Jenny pointed out. "You should go out and celebrate."

"You and I both know that when you reach a certain age, birthdays don't count anymore," Gibbs stated knowing that Jenny doesn't like to celebrate her birthday anymore. "Abby bribed Ziva for the team to have dinner at her place. She's cooking."

"Oh that's nice."

"You should come."

"I'd rather not interrupt your time with your team," Jenny replied shaking her head. It was a nice gesture but she knew that if she went, it would be awkward because she wasn't really a part of that family that the team had come to be with him.

"You're family too, Jenny. Abby refers to you as 'Mommy,'" Gibbs reminded her. "You doing anything today?"

"Shopping," Jenny answered immediately grinning at him.

"Your detail coming?"

"See, that's the thing," Jenny paused mulling over the words in her head. "I was wondering if you'd play detail for today… again."

"Didn't get enough of me last night?" Gibbs teased her making her smile. She knew it was his way of saying that yes he would accompany her shopping, even though it was one thing he never liked doing.

He stood up pulling out Jenny's chair for her dropping a twenty on the table and helping her into her coat and scarf. It was after all, November.

Gibbs guided her to where his car was currently parked knowing that Jenny didn't drive to get there. As they walked on the sidewalk for a few feet, a car skidded on some black ice swerving too close to where they were standing.

Gibbs' first reaction was to protect Jenny and wrap himself around her so that he would be hit instead of her. The car drove off resuming its course like nothing had happened while Jenny and Gibbs stood still on the sidewalk, arms wrapped around each other. A movement they would blame on survival instinct. Though, when Jenny had moved out of his grasp so that they could continue walking to his car, Gibbs took her hand and intertwined it with his own giving it a squeeze of assurance.

Meanwhile, the reporter from the previous night looked out a window from a nearby building recognizing the couple. She took her Blackberry out snapping a few photos for tomorrow's article.

_Pt. 3_

Gibbs was injured… again. Nobody was surprised to see that he had once again hurt himself and was in the hospital. As always, the team complete with Ducky, Abby and Jenny were by his side hovering and making sure that he was all right. The team took turns at taking care of him after each pulled muscle, broken rib and concussion that he would face. It so happened that it was Jenny's turn to take care of him.

His doctor had ordered bed rest and no caffeine as conditions for him to be discharged. That's why, even with his bad back, he went down the stairs sneaking into the kitchen as Jen did her paperwork in the living room. He knew that Jenny also lived on coffee so having to wait about five minutes to make coffee wasn't going to be a problem.

Right when he reached for the pot, Jennifer Shepard made her presence known.

"Drop the pot and no one gets hurt."

Gibbs slowly placed the pot back in its rightful place knowing that Jenny would make good with any threat that she would present him with.

"Jenny," he moaned. He could smell the sweet aroma of the coffee. He hasn't had any for a whole day and for him it seemed like a whole ten years. He was desperate. "Please?"

"No," Jenny said shaking her head and guiding him to the breakfast nook. "Your doctor gave me strict orders about resting and caffeine."

"But…" Gibbs replied. "Just a little bit?"

He put up a small measurement with his thumb and forefinger. Jenny chuckled at his childlike antics knowing that he was having a withdrawal from probably the only drug that he would get addicted to, caffeine.

"Can't, doctor's orders," Jenny said with a smile seeing the small pout on his face.

"Come on, you break rules all the time," Gibbs tried to persuade. It was out of his character to practically go down on his knees and beg for something, but he was desperate.

"There is one way…"

"Name it."

"DE. CAF," Jenny said emphasizing every word. She saw his face crunch up. She knew just how much he hated that 'poor excuse for coffee.' Jenny didn't like de-caf anymore than he did but it was either de-caf or nothing for him.

"Jen…"

"No, I will not let you drink that _tar_ you call coffee."

Gibbs crossed his arms across his chest in defeat. Jenny couldn't help but smile at how he was acting. _He must really just want coffee_.

"Fine," Gibbs paused, "If I can't have coffee. You can't either."

Jenny shook her head handing him the coffee that she was holding. "Stop acting like a child, Jethro. Here."

Gibbs smiled thinking that he won and that he had gotten her to cave in getting what he wanted. If it was anybody else, they would've caved a long time ago, but this was Jenny and he knew that it required more time and acting for her to actually let him have what he wanted.

He lifted the coffee up to his lips enjoying the aroma that he hasn't gotten in about a whole day. He took a sip; one after another enjoy the unique flavor that it had. He'd have to ask Jen where it was that she gotten this blend because he had to admit that it was good.

He looked over at Jenny who had a satisfied smile on her face as he drank the coffee.

"Thanks," he said placing the cup back on the table.

Jenny shook her head in amusement that he wasn't able to tell that he what he was drinking was de-caf. She owned Tony ten for buying the coffee and another twenty for betting with him. She had more confidence in Gibbs' taste in coffee but apparently in that state, he would just let anything pass for coffee.

She left him sitting at the table while she shook her head smiling walking into the living room where case reports were waiting for her.

"Jen!" Gibbs called out trying to follow her there in his state. "Jenny!"

Jenny turned around meeting his furious stare.

"What did you put in my drink? Valium?"

"Would I do that to you, Jethro?" Jenny asked him. She met his eyes for a moment nodding with a smile. "Okay, so I would. But that isn't what I did."

"What _did _you do?" Gibbs asked already looking at her right eye for her tell.

"You just drank – and enjoyed – every last drop of a de-caf," Jenny stated kissing his cheek as his eyes bulged out at the statement.

"DECAF?!"

He walked as fast as he could after her ending up on his couch next to her. He reached over slowly for the remote flipping the TV to another channel as she leaned closer to him, still looking over a case report. He wrapped his free arm around her, trying to focus on the show instead of her warm body beside him and the coffee that didn't even taste like de-caf.

Part 4

Jenny and Gibbs were snuggled up in front of her television just enjoying a lazy Friday night with each other. It was like Paris all over again when they were with each other. Lately, they've gotten closer, even going as far as holding hands and cuddling; the whole enchilada. Minus the sex of course, in which they have even surprised themselves. They were holding out on each other, determined to make this relationship different, better and stronger than the one they had in Europe. Though, they weren't even together.

It was unspoken that they were, but in all technicalities, they were still just two single people. Which was why she took the opportunity to test the waters and get out of what they had while there wasn't anything to really get out of yet, by going out on a date the following day with a prominent CEO of a respected company.

Gibbs ran his hand up and down her arm in a soothing motion like he always did.

"Whatcha doing tomorrow?" Gibbs asked her knowing that whatever she was doing, he was doing it with her.

"You mean today?" Jenny asked him looking over at the clock nearby. It was already close to being 0300.

"You know what I mean."

"Well, I don't have anything scheduled before 1900," Jenny replied. "That is if there isn't a crisis tomorrow and I'm needed."

"Hot date?" Gibbs teased referring to her seven o'clock appointment.

"Actually, yes," Jenny replied.

"A senator?" Gibbs asked thinking that she was just playing along with him.

"No actually, he's the head of a broadcasting network," Jenny explained knowing that he wasn't taking her seriously. "He's flying to New York the next day."

"Oh," Gibbs said getting the hint. He untangled himself from her and the blanket that covered them.

Jenny looked up at him expecting this reaction. Well, it had to happen sometime.

"Where are you going?" she asked him.

"Home."

"Okay."

Gibbs put on his jacket and Jenny followed him to the door so that she could lock up and head to her bedroom for the night. Just before they got to the door, he turned around, his eyes displaying the anger and confusion that he was feeling.

Gibbs opened his mouth to say something but he didn't know what to say.

"What?"

"You have fun stringing me along, again?" Gibbs asked her his fists clenching needing to hit something. Someone. The man who had asked her to a date, possibly.

"Stringing you along?" Jenny repeated what he had said. She knew what she was doing to him, and she wasn't going to deny it to herself. But maybe, to make the pain hurt a little less, she could. "What are you talking about, Jethro? I never strung you along."

"Then hell you didn't! You knew exactly what you were doing to me!"

"Do you want me to cancel my date? Is that what this is about, you don't want me dating?"

"It's not that I don't want you dating Jen," Gibbs paused. "It's just that I don't want you dating other people."

"You want us to be exclusive, Jethro?"

Gibbs looked at her with his answer.

"You know that would mean sacrifices, right Jethro? You'd have to talk, to me."

"Me too."

"That's given…" Jenny started only to be interrupted by Gibbs.

"I don't care what the conditions are, Jenny," Gibbs said shutting her up.

"One last one."

"What?"

"You break my heart," Jenny started. "I practice my ninja paper clip skills on you."

Gibbs chuckled leaning in and kissing her on the lips.

_Note to self: NEVER break her heart._


	3. I'm Going to Kill DiNozzo

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own NCIS. I just merely am borrowing it. It belongs to D. Bellisario. **

**Rating: K+: for minor language and interesting make-out scene.**

**Author: writingfreak145.**

**A/N: Just in case you haven't figured it out Sophia has magical powers. So the reason for something in the fic if you are wondering how she got to NCIS from her house in Connecticut it is because of her powers.**

I'm Going to Kill DiNozzo Then Thank Him Afterwards

Gibbs as usual, walked over to his desk and said good morning to his team, but before he sat down McGee said something.

"Ugh boss… there's something on your desk. It was here before any of us got here."

"Alright. Stop staring out into space all of you; get back to work!!!" Gibbs said. He sat down and took a sip of his coffee, and flipped open the card on top of the box that was on his desk just as McGee had said. It read;

DEAR JETHRO,

I THOUGHT… I HOPED YOU MIGHT PUT THIS TO GOOD USE. WELL, WHEN I SAY YOU… I MEAN US.

LOVE ,

JENNY

He opened the box and looked at it, he was confused. All it was, was a feather. He thought for a moment, '_What on Earth could Jen and I use a feather for?_' Gibbs thought some more on it and finally realized what she meant.

Gibbs got up and stormed up the stairs towards her office; once he was there (not bothering to say a word to Cynthia) he barged through her door, she didn't even flinch because he had done it so many times.

"Jen, what the Hell are you trying to pull here!?!" he held up the box along with card; she took off her reading glasses and put the file she was reading down.

"Jethro, I don't know what you're talking about; where did you get that?"

"What you mean 'where did you get that?'!?! Don't play stupid with me Jen! You put on my desk this morning!!!"

"No I didn't. Let me see it," she got up and went over to him, and he handed the box and card to her.

Two minutes later he was still standing in the same spot and staring at her finally, her mouth dropped and her eyes went wide; she had finally figured out what it meant.

"That is disgusting Jethro! I would never…" he cut her off.

"I kind of figured that out, Jen. Your right eye isn't twitching like it does when you lie."

"It does not!!!" she retorted.

"Yep there it goes twitching away," she looked down at her feet then back at him.

"Okay so maybe it does."

"Told you so. Ugh what are going to do about that?" he pointed to the box he had gotten that she had now had set on her desk, "don't even think about it, Jen."

"What are you… God NO Jethro that is not funny. Why would I even think about that! Wait, don't answer that. Someone has seriously been spending too much time with Agent DiNozzo!!! That's it! DiNozzo. He put on it your desk, forged the note, and set us up!"

"No way. He was probably the last one to get here before I got here. Besides he's too stupid to be that cleaver."

She laughed a little than spoke, "you never know he could've had some help. Abby maybe? Yeah Abby probably helped him. Tony probably came up with the idea and got the box and the feather and Abby forged the note."

"You really should've stayed a field agent, Jen."

"I learned from the best," she gave him a sly grin and they both started laughing. Once they stopped he got '_the present_' off her desk and left, for once in a good mood.

Once he returned to the bull-pin he smacked the back of DiNozzo's head, wondering what he would do to get back Abby and DiNozzo.

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~Meanwhile down in Abby's lab~

Ziva and Abby were discussing the little prank that Abby and DiNozzo had pulled on Gibbs and Jen. Almost immediately they stop talking when Jen walks in.

"Good morning girls." Jen said.

"Good morning director. We were just umm… we umm…," Abby stumbled on her words, "I… I… was…," Jen cut her off.

"Discussing the little prank that you and DiNozzo played on Gibbs and I this morning?"

"Yeah sorry we couldn't resist. DiNozzo came up with it and I forged the note. Again sorry."

"Maybe Sophia was right, I am psychic," Jen mumbled.

"Oh and umm Ziva the reason I came down here was to tell you that your father wants a private video conference with you in MTAC."

"Thank you director. I will see you all later," Ziva walked out of Abby's lab and into the elevator.

"So director…"

"Abby, I have a feeling that this is going to be more of a personal than professional conversation, so for now just call me Jen or Jenny,"

"Okay so Jenny there's one more person that wants to be included in this little conversation," Abby went over and pressed a couple of buttons on her computer and dragged Jen in front of the computer desk and the plasma screen clicked on.

"Hi Aunt Jenny. Hi Abby!!" Sophia exclaimed.

"Hey Sophia. Did Abby tell you about the little prank she and DiNozzo pulled on Jethro and I this morning?"

"Yeah she did it was hilarious!!! It took me a while to figure out the feather thing, but I got it."

"Smooth," Jen said.

"Okay so Jen the reason for this conversation is that we want you to get the guts to ask Gibbs out," Abby explained. Jen whipped her head to Abby and her face was full of confusion and shock.

"Wha, wha, wha, where did that come from!!!!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Well it doesn't take a genius to contemplate it, Aunt Jen. An idiot could notice the serious tension between you and Gibbs. And I don't just mean angry tension." Sophia stated.

"No. Me and Jethro didn't work out nearly ten years ago, even though I love him. So it just wouldn't work."

"Wait a minute Aunt Jen you just said love."

"No I didn't; well if I did it's just a slip of words."

"Okay so yeah Jen it was a Freudian slip of words. Ha!"

"No it wasn't Abby. I am not in love with Jethro!!!"

"You are so lying, your right eye is twitching!!!"

"Damn!! I forgot it did that!!! But Abby, Sophia, even if Jethro and I got together it would be a disaster. It would be like that time someone gave Gibbs decaf coffee. He just wasn't himself that morning; oh boy was that a disaster," Jen said and sighed. Sophia and Abby shared an unnoticed wink to each other, and Sophia spoke.

"You might be right Aunt Jen. He might get to engrossed in his work and neglect you."

"Exactly and you guys might get into more fights than usual," Abby put in.

"Well, we have been getting along a lot more lately and there hasn't been as many cases as usual. So I might ask him out. No wait I will ask him out."

"Alright Aunt Jen, it's your decision, but it would be cool to have a little cousin and call Gibbs 'Uncle Jethro'."

"Don't push it Sophia," Jen said and gave her niece and smirkish grin through the web cam.

They talked more about casual stuff. Meanwhile…

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Gibbs was standing in the unnoticed corner of Abby's lab and listened to the women's conversation. Jen soon left and Abby and Sophia laughed and said something along the lines of 'I love reverse-physiology', then he saw the web-cam screen go black and quickly exited the lab before being noticed, and booked up to the bull-pin's floor.

On his way once he passed his team, smacked DiNozzo's head for trying to hit on Ziva, and headed up the stairs to Jen's office. Again he walked passed Cynthia and barged through Jen's door.

"What do you want Agent Gibbs," she said without even looking up from her computer.

"You," he replied.

"Excuse me?" she asked lifting her head up and having a confused look on her face.

"Get up," Gibbs replied.

"Gibbs last time I checked it said Director on the door you always love to never treat like a door, and that door just happens to be the door to _my office_. So in this situation I give the orders.

"Alright director please get up," she got up and walked over to him in front of her desk. He grabbed her by her upper arms to close the gap between them. His lips came crashing down onto hers.

Within moments their tongues began to fight for dominance. He gripped his arms around her waist and her hands raked through his hair. She eventually let him win and he began to explore ever corner of her mouth; putting the long-lost passion into high speed.

When oxygen became a necessity they barely pulled apart and let their panting breathe tickle each others lips. Smiles panned across both their faces.

She let head fall into the crook of his neck.

Jethro breathed her name more that saying it.

"I love you," he said after another few moments of silence. She lifted her head to me his blue eye with her green eyes.

"You really mean that Jethro,"

"Yeah I do."

"I love you too," she replied and kissed him softly one more time.

"I really have missed you Jen."

"Me too Jethro, me too," she snaked her arms around his neck and he whispered in her ear.

"I'm going to kill DiNozzo, that niece of your, and Abby, and thank them afterwards, and marry me," her eye grew wide and she replied.

"Are you sure. I mean I don't mind being the 5th Mrs. Gibbs but are you okay with a 5th go around."

"With you; Hell yeah."

"Okay then yes I will," they laughed a little and continued to hold each other in complete silence.

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Meanwhile the team, Sophia, and Abby were standing in front of the plasma screen between McGee and DiNozzo's desks watching the live video feed coming from the director's office.

Tony had his mouth dropped open, Sophia and Abby were crying, McGee was gawping like a goldfish, and Ziva had her arms crossed and had an 'I told you so' look on her face.

DiNozzo finally broke the silence, "so how much do you guys wanna bet that Gibbs and the director are going to be doing '_the funky mambo_' in a couple of minutes?" he raised his eyebrows.

"Shut up DiNozzo!!!" they all screamed in unison.

Sophia and Ziva said something, "Tony we will kill you 18 different ways with a single paper clip if you don't shut up!!!"


	4. Moods

_**Moods**_

_**Author: Mrs. Scott323**_

_Ever since the Director had returned from her conference in Paris, Gibbs had been in a strange mood. It wasn't like the moods he had when he had one of his run ins with Diane, or Laura, the first ex wife who still called him on their anniversary. The team wasn't sure what to do about it and tried to avoid any subject involving the army and Hawaii. Luckily their current case involved trouble between rival gangs and a marine who got caught up in it, a subject about as far from the 'forbidden topic' as you could get._

_When Gibbs finally left on one of his coffee runs, Ziva asked Tony a question she'd been dying to ask for quite a while._

"_Who won the pool about Gibbs and Hollis Mann?" Ziva asked when Gibbs was out of earshot. "Let me see" Tony pulled out a sheet, separated in four boxes. One called marriage, the others break up, Gibbslet, first kiss._

"_Well, Ducky won the first kiss part, but that wasn't that much, not many people had joined by then." Tony grabbed a pen and made some adjustments to the chart._

"_Since marriage and Gibbslet are out of the question, I took the liberty of transferring the total amount of money to the last part, break up. And this week was.."_

"_Mine." Jenny walked over to Tony's desk, "I'd like to have the money on my desk by tomorrow, you can also deliver it to Cynthia, she'll get it to me."_

_Tony stared after Jenny as she walked off, when he was sure she was out of earshot he asked Ziva: "Do you think she planned it all?"_

_Ziva considered his question, "Probably."_

_Tony grinned "Nice!" His mind drifted off considering the options the Director could've used to make Gibbs break up with Lt-Colonel Mann. He particularly liked the option involving the black lace._

_A sharp pinch of pain woke him up from his dream, he rubbed his forehead and noticed the paperclip on his desk. He glared at Ziva, but she motioned with her eyes, he looked over his shoulder and noticed Gibbs coming out of the elevator. He quickly hid the sheet behind some paperwork. This was one headslap he'd like to avoid._

_He quickly pretended to work on the case, his eyes following his boss who seemed angry about something._

"_Something wrong Boss?"_

"_Nothing for you to be concerned about DiNozzo, McGee. Get me some coffee. And not that stuff from the cafeteria they try to pass off as coffee."_

_McGee looked a bit confused, but obeyed the order anyway. He'd ran all of the requested traces already anyway._

_Gibbs heard the heels clicking on the floor behind him, and her voice asking a question._

"_What do we have?"_

_Gibbs watched Jenny expectantly, it looked like she hadn't learned the lesson he'd tried to teach her the last time she tried to meddle with his cases._

"_We?" Jenny rolled her eyes, "My agency, my agents, my cases. I thought we covered that part the last time." _

"_Do you want me to sit behind your desk again?"_

"_You're such a child sometimes."_

"_Me? Ha!" Gibbs scoffed, "I'm not the one who acts as bossy as a five year old."_

_Jenny glared at him. "Keep that up agent Gibbs and you'll be doing deskwork for the next month." She stalked off, passing McGee on her way back to her office, She grabbed one of the cups from his hands. McGee watched her leave, stunned, the other cup was still in his outstretched hand when Gibbs took it._

"_Boss, you prob.." McGee tried to stop him, but he was too late, after one sip Gibbs spat the coffee back in the cup._

"_What the hell is this?"_

"_I tried to warn you Boss, that one is decaf, I switched a few weeks ago, I can write better when I'm well rested. I put your coffee on your desk." He hastily added._

_This time, Gibbs drank from the right one, and he quickly drowned the entire thing. To get the taste of decaf coffee out of his mouth._

"_Next time, put a warning sign on that thing McGee." He motioned towards the decaf coffee._

"_I will Boss. Do you want me to get you a new one?"_

_Gibbs walked passed him, not bothering to give him a response. McGee sat behind his desk, muttering to himself._

"_I guess that's a no."_

_In her study, later that night, Jenny shifted restlessly through the files on her desk. She was annoyed with Jethro, once again. His behavior was getting out of hand. He was obviously upset about Hollis' retirement. She'd read that last issue of Stars and Stripes from cover to cover. And she really had been surprised when she read that she was leaving for Hawaii with no mention of a marriage. She'd been sure that she'd lost 100 dollars in the betting pool Tony made._

_Then he'd showed up at her home. And she'd said something about being a jealous husband. And he hadn't caught on. _

_The gossip mill had told her that Gibbs and Mann had broken up. For what seemed like for good, and she'd been relieved._

_Jenny looked over her desk, sighing once again. There was no chance she'd be able to get any work done tonight. Her eyes drifted to the bar, a glass of bourbon would relieve some of the tension. But she'd used that method much too often lately. She shifted her look to the grandfather clock in the corner._

_Maybe it was her turn to apologize._

_Alright, it was her turn to apologize. _

_Not that much later, she was twisting and turning on his front porch, hesitating to open the front door. _

"_You do know the door is open?"_

"_Hello Jethro."_

"_Why don't you come in Jen, you've been wearing a hole on this front porch for the last fifteen minutes."_

_She smiled and followed him inside. _

"_Why are you here Jen?"_

"_I wanted to apologize, I shouldn't have baited you this afternoon." Gibbs grinned and turned away. Jenny watched him walk to his basement. "Aren't you going to say anything back?"_

_He never answered her, and she stood there in his hallway, completely stunned. Then something inside her snapped. Here she was, handing him an olive branch and he just slapped it away. Angry, she followed him into the basement._

"_Jethro, this little wallowing session of yours has been going on for long enough. You're even more of a pain than usual. Your own team is walking on their toes around you, and you still manage to piss everyone off."_

"_Well gee Jen, don't sugarcoat it."_

"_I'm serious Jethro, you if you didn't want her to leave, you should've gone with her."_

"_Who says she asked me to?"_

"_She didn't? I assumed she did and you said no."_

"_Nope, she told me she was going to retire, and still disappointed in me for not telling about Shannon and Kelly. I only found out about the relocation when DiNozzo told me about it."_

"_You mean she didn't tell you she was leaving for Hawaii?"_

"_Well she wasn't exactly the first now was she." Jenny was confused for a moment after he said that, not knowing what he meant. When he rolled his eyes and was about to turn his back to her to continue his work on the boat, it finally clicked._

"_Our situations were completely different." Gibbs turned to inspect the rib of the boat. Muttering something under his breath._

"_What did you just say?" He turned around again, cursing himself for letting it slip._

"_I said, at least she had a good reason."_

_He met her eyes, daring her to reply. She couldn't. There was nothing she could possibly say that could make this better. 'I had to do what was best for me' sounded weak, and 'At least I came back' didn't quite cut it either. So she chose the final option, one that had proven to be very effective in the past._

_And she was hoping it would do the trick this time._

_She closed the distance between them, slipping her arms around his waist. She was glad she had chosen not to wear heels, it made it easier to tuck her head in the crook of his neck. Jenny turned her head so she could place a butterfly kiss just underneath his jawline. The only spot he was ticklish and finally she raised face towards his ear, whispering 'I love you' before putting her head back in its original spot._

_She felt him stiffen for a moment, but she pulled him tighter and just a few moments later, she felt his arms make their way around her body, one of his hands resting on her lower back and the other in her hair. She hid her smile against his chest, and pinched him softly for good measure. He smelled her hair, and made a sound that told her he recognized it from all those years ago. Then he rested his chin on the top of her head._

"_You will be the death of me."_


	5. Two Expierments

**Title: Two Experiments **

**Author: Emeilia-Rose **

**Rating: k+**

**Spoilers: Umm, anything early season five and before is fair game.**

Leroy Jethro Gibbs did not get jealous, or at least that was what he kept telling himself. If he was jealous he might have to admit he wasn't over her.

Well, he didn't care if he was over her; he could just ignore his feelings as usual.

But, seeing that pompous congressman Bob Somers head into her office brought to many unanswered questions to the surface, questions he had about Jen.

To tell the truth, she had no interest in politicians; they were a dime a dozen but she knew no one would rile him up more than them.

It was almost an experiment, to test his feelings for her; to test the limits she could push his sanity too.

You could call her vengeful and immature for this stunt, but he had used Hollis for the same reason, or that is what she chose to believe.

After Bob left she gave it ten to fifteen minutes tops before her door was thrown open.

Ten minutes had passed, then fifteen and as it neared on twenty she was beginning to worry if he had even noticed the congressman, or worse, if he had even cared.

After thirty minutes of wondering she gave into her curiosity.

On her way down the stairs she tripped and almost fell because she couldn't believe what she was seeing; Gibbs was asleep at his desk.

The only time she ever really saw him sleep was after _certain_ physical endeavors and when they had become comfortable enough with each other to share a bed for the whole night. But, even then he was up earlier than her.

The team must have been out to lunch, because she saw nobody else in the squad room. She walked over to him as quietly as she could.

"Jethro, wake up." She said, not sweetly, not like the lover she would like to be, but not harshly either. She said it like a friend would, because even though they weren't as close as she wished, she thought of them as friends, maybe the only friends each other had; besides Fornell and Ducky.

He shot straight up in his chair and she barely managed to suppress a laugh.

"Can I help you Director?" He was obviously a little embarrassed that she had caught him sleeping.

"You were sleeping, didn't think you'd want the team to come in and find you that way."

"So I'm a little tired." He straitened his clothes and desk.

"Jethro, you have had three cups of coffee, you can't possibly be tired." Jenny said eyeing the wastebasket where three empty cups sat discarded. She was trying to get him to admit that he needed sleep. But, she didn't want to sound pushy, she wanted to sound caring.

And apparently it worked by the way his face softened just enough to show he was comfortable with her, that they had finally gotten over the hill of uneasiness between them.

"Please, go home. Get some sleep, and not under that boat, in a bed."

"Not gonna happen Jen, we got a case." He said. All the time she had known him his job had come first, and she had been no different; maybe it is what made them fit so well.

She knew she wasn't going to win that argument, so she took a new approach.

"Will you at least go see Ducky?"

"Yeah," He headed for the elevator but, she followed.

"Ah! Jethro, Director, what can I do for you?" Ducky said bent over the body of an older marine officer.

"Ducky, enough with the formalities. Are you ever going to call me Jenny again?" She said as lightly as she could. Because somehow it hurt that her good friend, or who used to be only ever spoke to her in a professional capacity. Really she didn't know where she stood in Donald Mallards mind anymore, but she hoped that giving him the opening would maybe put him at ease, and they could be friends like before she was Director.

He had just finished washing his hands as he walked over to her.

"All you had to do was ask my dear." He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"So, what brings you two down here?"

"I found him asleep on his desk, and I asked him to come have you check him out." Jen said.

"And that doesn't explain why you're here" Gibbs said rolling his eyes.

"Because, I know you Jethro! You would just ignore my request and go get more coffee. And if three cups can't keep you awake you'll just overdose. So, I had to make sure you came down here." She said stepping up to the plate, if he wanted to play ball who was she to deny him. Besides she had been waiting for a fight all day.

"I'm down here now aren't I? So you can go attend to your paper work filing or whatever you do up there." He snapped.

"I wouldn't have the time to file paperwork even if I wanted to! I spend every waking moment smoothing out your messes!" Jenny said.

"Oh, don't you mean smoothing out Bob Somers? I know you said you would never get married, but what a good PR move; to marry a congressman!" There it was the card he had been waiting to play all day.

"I am not with him and I certainly don't plan to marry him! This isn't about me, it's about you and how you can't accept that your getting slower in your old age!"

"How would you know?" He said as he stepped into her personal space. Gibbs really hadn't meant to say it like that, to imply _intimate_ things, but something in him wanted to rub it in her face that they weren't together anymore. Something in him wanted to experiment with the defenses she put up.

Ducky, who had been enjoying the banter finally stepped in, not because he wanted them to stop particularly, he always learned the most interesting things when they fought, but because Autopsy was full and he didn't have room for another body.

"As for you sleeping Jethro, you do need to get more, but I think you need to go have a talk with Abby." He paused. "Both of you."

"Abby? What has she got to do with this?" Gibbs asked perplexed.

"Just go, I have work to do." He said as he shooed them out the gliding doors.

The elevator doors opened and Abby knew exactly who it was, well because she had been expecting Ducky to tell on her and she had always had a 'Gibbs-sense' plus, they were making a lot of noise.

"Why was he in your office then?" Gibbs said, sounding like a child.

"It was my office, not my bedroom!" Jenny snapped. "And since when is it any of it your business who enters either one?"

"See! You're avoiding the question!"

Oh, this was good! Abby always loved getting information; especially when it pertained to her favorite possible agency couple.

"Jethro, he was there setting up a meeting with the press on the Hammond case, you know, the Senator's aide?" She technically wasn't lying, but she could have dealt with it over the phone, but she had asked him to come to the Navy Yard. If it made her a bad person for wanting him to feel jealous, so be it.

Abby spun around and watched as the two got started in a heated staring contest; sometimes when it came to their conversations she wished she had popcorn.

"Hey guys! Welcome to my 'Labby' or Lab of Abby get it? What can I do for you?" She said, trying not to sound guilty, but Gibbs and Director Shepard were some of the best mind readers she had ever known.

The two who were previously fighting turned and gave each other 'The look' Abby knew to well, it meant she was busted.

"Darn, Ducky told you about my experiment didn't he?" She said looking upset.

"Experiment?" Jenny said a smile on her face.

"Oh, he didn't? Well then never mind." She said turning back to her computers.

"No, but you are gonna." Gibbs said.

Abby sensing defeat decided to come clean.

"Well you see, I just wanted to know if the coffee made you magic or you just are like that. So I gave you decaf!" She said as sweetly as she could.

"Gibbs, on decaf? Well that would explain the nap he was taking!" Jen said laughing the whole way at Gibbs' expense.

"How have you been giving me decaf? I got coffee from home and the shop!" To say he was surprised would be a lie, because Abby had been known to do things like this before, but he was shocked he was the subject in this 'Experiment'.

"You see Ziva snuck into your kitchen and replaced it and I got Tony to flirt with the cute baristas and bribe the boys at the all the shops around the Navy Yard!" She said in a cherry tone.

Gibbs was still quiet listening to Abby explain herself and deciding how long she would be grounded from CafPows! Jenny was giggling very un-Directorly next to him.

"And, what was your conclusion Abs?" Director Shepard got out between chuckles.

"Oh he is just magic; the coffee only helps to make his super powers better!" She called after her bosses who were already half way to the elevator.

In the elevator he hit the emergency stop; just like she had expected him to, sometimes he could be so predictable. The small room was cast into a blue light and there was silence before he finally spoke.

"Jen?"

"Hmm?" She turned to face him waiting for his words.

"Don't make any more appointments with congressmen." He said, still trying to work out the best way to tell her how he was feeling.

"Why?" She smirked, she knew the answer. She just wanted to hear him say it.

"Because I don't like it."

"Why?" She pressed her luck, but she **needed** to hear him say it.

He pushed her up against the elevator wall, she didn't resist. Feeling his body this close to hers was hard enough without words. His lips captured hers and they fell back into a rhythm they had learned years ago, and never quite forgot.

"Because, Your mine." His voice was husky in her ear, and the way his breath tickled her neck made her shiver.

"Jethro?"

"Yup?" He whispered placing feathery kisses on her neck.

"You'd have better meant that. 'Cause if you think what Ziva can do with a paperclip is impressive, you just wait!" Her threat was half hearted, she knew he meant it.

He didn't have to tell her, because by the way he kissed her again made them sure they were ready to go through whatever, they were settled in for the long haul.

**A/N: Not really sure if it got anywhere close to focusing on psychology, or if the Freudian Slip was even noticeable but that is all my brain can kick out right now.**

**I was happy with the plot, but after I finished writing it I thought that there maybe wasn't enough Jibbs and too much Fest, but it is how it is I guess.**

**- Tori**


	6. Offers

**A/N: I'm aware that I've overexaggerated Gibbs' coffee addiction just a tad (ok, fine….a lot) but please keep in mind that it's all for the purpose of the story. **

Offers

"Good morning!" piped the teen from behind the Starbucks counter. With medium-length blond hair pulled into a cheerleader ponytail and too-large hazel eyes, she hardly looked old enough to be in high school let alone working.

Gibbs felt himself shaking his head sadly as he ordered.

"Alrighty," said the blonde, her hair bobbing as she spoke, "Can I have your name, please?"

"Jethro," Gibbs told her just as his phone rang. He stepped off to the side to answer it.

"Gibbs," he barked.

"Hey, Gibbs," came Tony's harried reply, "Just callin' to give you an upda—"

"Then just give it to me, Dinozzo!" he interrupted, reaching over the counter to grab the hot cup handed to him. Without taking a sip as he was still on the phone, he exited the shop.

"Uh, right. Well, Bethesda called. They gave Officer Lambert the all clear. His fiancée took him home 'bout five minutes ago."

Gibbs nodded briskly and hung up just as he reached his car. Seeing the traffic light turn to red, he once again ignored his coffee in favor of shoving his key into the ignition and peeling out of the parking lot and onto the street before a green light allowed oncoming cars to force him to wait.

And so it was that Gibbs didn't take his first sip of the atrocious brew he drank more often than water until he was well away from the place he'd purchased it from. Too far away to turn back and get another cup without being late to work. Because it wasn't until he'd swallowed his first mouthful and nearly spat it out that he realized something was desperately wrong.

Turning the cup around in his hand, he squinted down at the name scrawled on the side.

"Damnit!" he shouted, slamming the wheel with the heel of his hand and almost crashing into the car beside him. The driver quickly switched lanes. For even he, an unsuspecting civilian who had never met Gibbs before in his life, knew enough to not mess with a man who'd been given a decaffeinated cup of coffee. A decaffeinated cup of coffee that should really have gone to—

"Eileen," Gibbs muttered darkly, "Do I look like an Eileen?"

oOo

In the bullpen, three agents were already hard at work. Well, two of them were. The other was spinning slightly in his chair as he played his third game of Tetris that morning. He seemed to be just waiting for his boss to come up behind him and slap…

Tony shot up suddenly.

"Hey," he called to no one in particular. Both of his colleagues looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Tony?" questioned Ziva calmly.

"Where's Gibbs?" Tony asked, "I called him, like, ten minutes ago about Lambert. It sounded like he was getting coffee. He should be here by now."

Turning sideways, he yelled, "McGee!"

Before he had even finished his sentence, the computer whiz was typing away.

"Tracking his cell now."

Tony and Ziva got up from behind their desks and moved closer.

"So, where is he Probie?" Tony planted both his elbows down on the desk right next to the younger agent's mousepad.

"Gimme a minute, Tony," McGee replied, sounding more than slightly irritated. That look was quickly wiped from his face, however, when his search went through.

"Uh-oh," he practically whispered.

"What is it McGeek?"

"Tony, he's right—"

McGee's anxious voice was cut off by a much scarier one.

"Here, Dinozzo," Gibbs said. The senior agent shot up and attempted to hurry back to his corner of the bullpen, but wasn't fast enough to avoid the hand that clipped the back of his head as its owner made his way to his desk.

Sitting down, the Italian scowled at his partner, who was already sitting demurely in her chair as if nothing had happened. Damn, she was fast!

"Dinozzo!" Gibbs shouted.

Tony's head snapped around to face him.

"Yeah, Boss?"

Gibbs' stare was cold and hard. "If you're gonna waste your time staring, you'd better have those reports finished, 'cause you're not leavin' that desk until you do."

He then turned to glare at both Ziva and McGee in turn. "Same goes for you two, too. I don't want any of you even goin' to the head until I get those papers on my desk. Clear?"

Not a sound was heard.

"I said, _am I clear_?!" Gibbs bellowed.

Choruses of, " Crystal , Boss!" followed the him to the elevator as he left three very bewildered and very, very frightened agents at their desks.

With wide eyes, they stared at each other. Finally, Tony spoke.

"I wonder who shoved a stick up his ass." He then grimaced at the mental image his words produced.

"Never mind," he amended quickly, "Forget that I said that. But seriously, there's something wrong."

"Just drop it, Tony," McGee advised. But even as he said those words, his fingers were practically flying across his keyboard. There was no use making Gibbs even angrier than he already was.

"Drop it?" Tony exclaimed, leaning toward McGee but mindful of keeping his butt firmly attached to his chair, "Our fearless leader may have some serious troubles in his life right now and you just want to drop it?!"

"Yes, Tony," McGee sighed, "That's exactly what I want to do because it's none of our business."

"Oh ho ho," Tony mock-chuckled, "Alrighty then."

He turned to the Mossad Officer across from him. "Hey, Ziva—"

"Do not even think about asking me, Tony," was her reply.

"Aw, c'mon Zee-vah! Don't you even care just a little bit 'bout what's bugging Gibbs?"

"No, I do not," she said crisply, putting down her pen and folding her hands on top of her papers as she addressed him, "I agree with McGee. If there was a problem, Gibbs would tell us. And if he didn't want us to know, then he would _not_ tell us. It is also quite possible that there is no problem at all."

She raised her shoulders in the small shrug she knew Tony found to be particularly annoying before returning her attention to her job.

Left to his own devices, Tony leaned back in his chair and tapped his index finger on his chin thoughtfully. Finally, his brilliant detective skills kicked in.

"Hey!" he shouted, sitting up straight, "I've got it!"

Ziva struggled to take deep breaths and relax, but her eyes kept straying to the box of paperclips on the corner of her desk.

"What do you _'got'_ Tony?" she ground out, willing to take the bait if it meant shooting him down for good so she could get back to her paperwork. Well, shooting him down using G-rated methods, anyway.

"No, no. It's 'what do you _have_', Ziva," Tony corrected her, oblivious to her current mood. McGee, however, was not. He tried to get Tony's attention by coughing discreetly, but the Italian resolutely ignored his signals.

"Anyway," Tony continued excitedly, "I bet y'all didn't notice."

McGee sighed exasperatedly, but answered before Ziva could. "Notice what, Tony?"

"The missing coffee cup!" Tony proclaimed proudly.

Ziva pursed her lips thoughtfully. McGee leaned his chin on his hand.

Finally, Ziva said, "Well, even if Gibbs did not have any coffee this morning, he has probably gone to get some, yes? So there really is nothing wrong."

"I'm with Ziva," McGee inputted.

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically. _Obviously_ they had never seen Gibbs without his morning coffee before. Even if he did manage to get several more cups throughout the day, he was still always a _lot_ more irritable than usual. As Senior Agent and a 5 year Gibbs-team-member veteran, Tony knew about these things. He also knew that the only way to deal with a cranky Gibbs was…

"I've gotta use the head," he announced abruptly as he stood up. He practically ran out of the bullpen before Ziva or McGee could say anything.

Once safely inside a stall with the door locked firmly behind him, Tony pulled out his phone and dialed the NCIS number along with the extension that would put him through to Autopsy.

"Hello?" a gentle accented voice answered.

"Ducky!" Tony almost cried with relief, "You remember that favor you owe me?"

"Vaguely, Anthony. Why?"

"Because I need to call it in. Now."

Tony could almost see Ducky's shoulders slumping. "Is it Gibbs?"

"Yeah, Duck. And it's pretty serious."

"How serious?"

"Early-morning-coffee-deprivation serious."

Ducky shook his head and let out a long breath. "Oh, dear."

oOo

Down in Autopsy, Ducky hung up the phone quietly. He was familiar with the predicament Gibbs' team members currently found themselves in, but he had no intention of "entertaining" the man himself until those three finished their reports and dashed off to the safety of their homes. Oh no—he had work to do and they were plenty old enough to fend for themselves. Besides, it was time that Ziva and McGee learned how to cope with Gibbs in high gear.

'_But,'_ Ducky mentally sighed, _'I did lose that bet. And it really isn't fair to leave Jethro alone with Tony and those two unsuspecting targets. And I am the only person who can deal with that man when he's in a mood."_

Suddenly, the light bulb lit up. Ducky quickly picked up the phone and dialed. He'd almost forgotten. There _was_ another person who could calm an angry Jethro Gibbs down; a person who was much better at it than he.

After three rings, the phone at the other end of the line was picked up and a voice answered distractedly, "Hello. Ducky?"

"Yes, it is I, Director," Ducky confirmed.

"Well, what can I do for you?"

"Actually, now that you mention it…" the good doctor paused for a moment, "Do you remember that favor you still owe me?"

Jenny Shepard laughed, "Sadly, yes I do. It's been almost ten years now, hasn't it? I was wondering when you were going to cash it in."

"Yes, well, that time has come. You see, Agent Dinozzo called me just a little while ago. It seems that we have a crisis on our hands."

Jenny groaned softly. "It's Gibbs, isn't it?"

Ducky nodded slowly before realizing that she couldn't see him. "Correct. Apparently he walked in this morning without a coffee cup. Agent Dinozzo recognized the signs. Presumably he's gone to get more, but there's nothing but paperwork for the team to do. And, well, I was wondering if…"

"If I could either calm him down or keep him locked up here long enough for them to escape," Jenny finished wearily.

Now that the story was told, Ducky knew he could do nothing more but wait. He was right. After a moment, she caved.

"Alright, fine. I'll have Cynthia send for him as soon as he gets back. But that's the last of your favors, so the next time something like this comes up, don't you dare ask me to babysit."

She hung up before he could reply.

"My word," the medical examiner said, turning to the table on which a dead Petty Officer with half his intestines spilling out lay, "I swear to you, those two grow more and more alike each passing day."

oOo

Up in her office, Director Jennifer Shepard hung up her phone and leaned back in her chair, rubbing tired eyes with both hands. Great. Just great. This was exactly what she wanted to be spending her day doing.

She paged her assistant.

"Yes, Director?" Cynthia inquired.

"Cynthia, when Agent Gibbs come in, can you tell him to see me immediately?"

"Of cour—oh! He just walked in."

"Great. Send him up, then."

By the time Gibbs had stormed all the way up the stairs and barged through the door, a slightly nervous-looking Cynthia at his heels, Jenny was once again focused on her paperwork. At the sound of his entrance, however, she quickly looked up.

"Thank you, Cynthia." She smiled warmly at the younger woman. Cynthia, taking the hint, slowly backed out of the room and shut the door.

Jenny then turned to Gibbs. He was standing directly in front of her desk, one hand wrapped around a coffee cup with the Starbucks logo on it, the other at his side with fingers curled into a loose fist.

"You called, _Madame Director_," he snarked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did," she replied calmly, refusing to get riled…or scared.

"Anythin' important you wanna ask me _ma'am_, or am I just going to stand here?"

Jenny almost winced at the defiant steel in his voice. Ducky had been right—he really was in a mood. But, his words had unwittingly opened a train of conversation that would hopefully last for a while.

"Actually, Jethro, I've been meaning to ask you about your last case," she told him, standing up from behind her desk and smoothing down her skirt. Walking over to the couch, she sat down and gestured for him to join her. He blinked a bit, but quickly followed suit.

"What about it?" he asked gruffly, taking a sip of coffee.

"Just give me a run-through," she instructed, "I heard Lambert was released from Bethesda this morning, but then I realized that I know almost nothing about the case itself."

Gibbs mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Liar," before clearing his throat.

"Not much to tell. Lambert was kidnapped—fiancée reported him missing two days ago. Coupla guys wanted to tap into the Navy's security systems and took him to show 'em how. We found him last night in one of the guy's basement. Some cuts and bruises and a cracked rib."

Jenny hummed softly, "Sounds like a pretty cut-and-dried one."

"Yep." Gibbs drank more coffee.

Suddenly, Jenny smiled. It was more of an introverted smile than one directed at anybody in particular; it was as if she were tucked inside her own mind and didn't yet realize that her body was smiling along with her thoughts. For a moment, Gibbs just sat and stared at her. He'd seen that smile before—not often, but enough to know that he would be captivated within seconds. She really had no idea how damn beautiful she looked with that expression on her face.

Before he could lose his bad mood completely, he stood up.

"That all?" he asked abruptly. Jenny immediately snapped out of her trance.

"Oh, um, yeah," she said, slightly flustered, "Sure."

Gibbs' gut told him that someone—Dinozzo—had told Jen to distract him. Well, that certainly hadn't worked.

Or had it.

He was almost at the door before his body betrayed him. Spinning around on his heel, he once again faced the redhead on the couch. She looked up at him, surprised.

"What were you thinking about?" he blurted.

"I-I…what? When?"

She looked completely confused. Gibbs walked back to her.

"Just now," he explained, "When you had that look on your face. What were you thinking?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said primly before standing up. But when she tried to side-step him, she found herself stopped by his hand around her upper arm.

"C'mon, Jen," Gibbs prodded. He honestly didn't know why he was pushing this. Maybe it was because he wanted to know what could make her smile nowadays. Maybe it was because he'd always wanted to understand what went on in her head. Maybe it was because… He stopped himself before the self-analysis could continue.

Jenny knew she was beat. Well, at the very least, it would buy Tony, Ziva, and McGee more time.

"Oh, I was just thinking of Officer Lambert and his fiancée."

"And," Gibbs prompted, his hand still on her arm, his body dangerously close.

"And I was remembering all the hours I spent as a little girl trying to plan my own wedding."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "You imagined your wedding?"

Jenny couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from turning up slightly.

"Yes, Jethro, I was a girl once, believe it or not. And imagining their weddings is what all little girls do at some point. Of course, being a typical 8-year-old, I never saw the actual _marriage_ that would take place afterwards; all I saw was that one day."

While she'd been reminiscing, Gibbs had set his coffee down on the table and somehow managed to steer then both back to the couch so that they were sitting next to each other, one of her hands on top the one of his that rested on her thigh.

"Think that day will ever come, Jen?" he asked softly, completely forgetting about the earlier anger he'd experienced that morning. It all seemed to have melted away.

She gave him a wry, lopsided smile and recited words he'd once said.

"That an offer, Jethro?"


	7. Caffeine Jolt

Caffeine Jolt

_Author: MissJayne_

_Rating: K_

Jennifer Shepard smiled to herself as she walked down the stairs into the squad room. Below her, she could see Agent Gibbs' team scurrying around as though the great man himself was going to turn up at any second.

She knew the feeling. When she had been his partner, she had learnt to anticipate his arrivals out of thin air, usually at the worst possible time for her. He knew everything that occurred, and she was able to sympathize with Tony, Ziva and McGee.

But today they seemed more on edge than usual. Tony was actually working for once. Across from him, Ziva was yelling at someone in Hebrew on the phone while toying with a paperclip and glaring at her partner. McGee was jumping at every loud sound, while his fingers flew across his keyboard. And Gibbs was nowhere to be seen, his empty desk still capable of scaring his agents.

Clutching her coffee, she came around the partition so that they noticed her arrival.

"Where's Agent Gibbs?" she asked.

Tony glanced up from his work. "Probably terrifying Abby. We need to get this case closed fast."

Jenny was surprised. Jethro normally let his favorite get away with anything. And from what she had heard about their current case, it wasn't anything urgent. "What did Abby do?" she wondered aloud.

"Abby did nothing," Ziva growled, slamming the phone down. "This is all Tony's fault."

"How is this my fault?" he protested instantly. "I only spilt his coffee."

Ziva's eyes narrowed, and Jenny took a step out of the way when she saw the assassin's grip tighten on the paperclip. "Gibbs is in dire need for a caffeine fix," she pointed out. "So we have to suffer."

Jenny smiled reassuringly at Tony, trying to break up the impending fight before it began. "It could worse," she admitted.

"How?" Tony demanded.

"On my second day with Gibbs, I got his coffee order wrong," she recalled. "Ended up giving him decaf."

Tony laughed. "How are you still alive?" he grinned.

She didn't answer, having spotted Jethro stalking towards them from the direction of the back elevators. The murderous expression on his face scared her, but she forced herself to stand her ground. She was the Director after all, and Directors were supposed to be made of sterner stuff.

He glared at her as he spotted her with his team. "Come to interfere with my case, Madame Director?" he barked.

She smiled sweetly at him and handed over her coffee. "Drink that," she ordered. "I need to see you in my office when you've got a minute."

Before he could reply, she left. Making a mental note to send Cynthia out for some more coffee, she heard him shouting orders at his team as she entered her office.

NCISNCISNCIS

Leroy Jethro Gibbs stormed up the stairs to the Director's office. He wasn't really fuming, but he wanted to scare Tony for a little longer. His senior field agent should have known better than to spill his coffee.

But Jen had given him her own. It puzzled him. She was as addicted to caffeine as he was, and that cup had been almost full. So why had she relinquished it?

Now he thought about it, she had been doing a lot of little things for him recently. She had dragged him away his desk some nights, long after everyone else had gone home, and made sure he ate something. She had been slipping him information that had helped his cases. She had been watching him more often from the catwalk. She had been there for him when their last case had involved a dead eight year old girl.

He entered her outer office, Cynthia's domain. Today, Jenny's assistant was nowhere to be seen. Thankful that no one was going to roll her eyes at him, he flung open Jenny's door.

As expected, she was sitting behind her desk and seemed unsurprised at his sudden arrival. He supposed she was getting used to his antics and decided to be more unpredictable next time. He did love keeping her on her toes.

"Agent Gibbs," she greeted him, closing the file in front of her and removing her glasses.

He chose to remain standing. "Something you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

She nodded her head slightly, standing up so that she was more at his level. "Fornell called me a short while ago, wanted to give you a heads-up that Diane is heading in this direction."

"He could have called me," he growled, more amused that Tobias had warned Jenny to stay out of the way. He suspected she would be locking herself into MTAC very soon.

"Your cell phone has been switched off and you weren't at your desk," she pointed out with a slight grin. "I didn't tell you in the squad room so you don't have to put up with Tony's comments about train wrecks."

"Duly noted," he replied, heading towards the door. But he stopped with his hand on the handle. "There a reason you handed over your coffee?"

"You looked like you needed it more than me," she answered.

"And the dinners and the information…" He let it hang.

"What do you want me to say? That I still love you…" She froze as she realized her slip.

He locked the door before moving over to her side. "Care to repeat that?" he asked.

She looked down for a moment. Then she let her gaze met his eyes. "I still love you," she repeated. He nodded softly. "I think we can something about that."

THE END


	8. Coming Home

**Title: Coming Home**

**Rating: K+**

**Spoilers: Everything and I do mean everything, slight mention of House characters, you don't really need to know much about them, except House and Cuddy fight like another favorite couple used to. Well…not quite, but you'll get the idea. **

**Summary: Tony is feeling rather rebellious and enlists the team's help for the ultimate ****coup d'état**

"Special Agent Gibbs I gave you a direct order and I expect you to follow it," Director Vance warned.

"Of course Director," Gibbs answered surprising his team who was standing behind him as usual. They watched as their boss turned on his heel and returned to the bullpen.

"So when he says we're not doing anything…" Tony began after waiting for the typical orders to disobey.

"We aren't doing anything," Gibbs answered with a glare. McGee nodded.

"Right Boss, still I think I'll just…"

"You will not McGee. The case is dropped. Leave it alone." McGee felt his jaw drop open and Tony glanced from the probie to his typically reserved partner to find her in a similar state of shock. "I'm going for coffee, let me know if we get another case." They watched as Gibbs left.

"Did he just…" Tony drifted off. "The boss followed an order."

"He never did that when Je…before," Ziva pointed out. They still had problems discussing the previous Director of NCIS.

"I've had it," Tony announced. "This has gone on to long, Gibbs isn't the boss anymore."

"Are you staging a coup?" Ziva inquired twirling a paperclip. Tony paused for thought, a typically unusual thing.

"If that's what it takes," he answered getting up. "I'm going to see Abby." He wasn't surprised to find the other two following. Abby was found in her usual habitat sitting on a chair staring at the evidence. She jumped up when she spotted the team.

"So did Bossman take Vance down? C'mon I want details!"

"Gibbs told us to drop it," Ziva informed angrily.

"He did what?"

"Drop it."

"But he only meant drop it," She nudged and winked McGee as an example.

"No Abbs, he meant drop it," Tony repeated.

"But…" She took a deep breath. "That's not Gibbslike! This has gotten out of hand, first he keeps secret from the team, then he puts you guys in danger, no he's buddy-buddy with Vance, who only has the job because he got the previous director killed!"

"Uh Abby, not quite the way it happened," McGee reminded.

"Au contraire. I did the digging. Vance was part of their team back in the day. I bet he knew and that slime ball…"

"Abbs," Tony interrupted. "Could we jump of the Vance death train for a second?"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Uh…" he paused. "I do." He pulled up the Skype program on Abby's computer and typed in a username.

"You Skype?" McGee inquired.

"I was bored as Agent Afloat. There's nothing to do but watch the sea go by," Tony complained.

"I did not know, I skyped with McGee," Ziva explained. "You should have said something."

"I figured you were off doing what you do best."

"Mossad missions do not take that long to complete, you're in, bang, you're out."

"Right…" Abby drawled. A young woman appeared on the screen."  
"Ah Anthony," came the heavy French accented voice.

"Rosalie, I was wondering if…"

"I'm sorry but the mistress is not home right now, she has retired to the house in Serbia."

"Could you tell her we need to speak, as soon as possible," Tony said.

"Very well, I will speak with her this afternoon."

"Thank you." Tony logged off and turned to his confused teammates, well minus one, Ziva was starring at the wall.

"Who are you trying to get in touch with?" Abby demanded.

"You asked for a coup, I'm staging a take over."  
"She will not come back," Ziva said solemnly.

"And that's where you come in, you can be persuasive."  
"I cannot torture her!"

"Psychology Ziva, Shrink her." McGee looked at the two partners.

"And how do we get Gibbs to go along with this?"

"Go along with what?" The team spun to face the door finding their boss standing there.

"Hi boss," Tony greeted cheerfully. "We were just…wondering about that case and…"  
"Since you told them to drop it, we figured you'd go along with us taking Ducky to a medical conference in DC," Abby spoke up, she was loyal to Gibbs, but the team currently was trying to help Gibbs, therefore the team was what she sided with. _Safety in numbers._

"Fine," Gibbs answered. He turned and left. They waited with baited breath until they were sure he was gone. They joined Ducky in autopsy much to the good Doctor's surprise.

"Ah what can I do for you my dears?"  
"We'd like to accompany you to the medical conference you requested time off for," Abby announced.

"Oh," Ducky looked puzzled.

"The one at the major convention center?" Ziva tried worried her friend might be loosing his mind.

"Ah yes, that conference. Well I had time to think about it and…"

"You're still going right?" Tony questioned.

"Well I…yes of course," Ducky agreed. "Just as soon as I talk to Jordan."

"Jordan?" McGee echoed.

"Uh what?"

"Why do you have to talk to Dr. Hampton?" Ziva inquired. "Is she attending?"

"I have not mentioned Dr. Hampton."  
"Do you know another Jordan?" Tony inquired.

"Oh dear," Ducky turned with embarrassment as he watched DiNozzo's smile grow. He had not meant to give out that information.

"It is alright Ducky," Ziva comforted. "We're glad you have found someone."  
"Even if I really don't want those images in my head," Abby muttered only to turn red herself. "Uh…never mind," She hastily retracted.

--

The medical conference was of no interest to Tony and Ziva; they simply followed their teammates around, as Ducky led describing in detail and off launching into stories with the lovely Dr. Hampton on his arm. Abby and McGee had been avid listeners for the first twenty minutes or so, then they too zoned out.

"How can she listen to him?" Tony asked. Ziva simply rolled her eyes. She lost the chance to answer when they heard raised voices coming from the right of them. The team stopped and looked spotting a man with a cane and a beautiful woman standing closely together arguing. Ducky didn't seem to notice until Jordan stopped and found her watching the team standing stock-still.

"What?" Ducky nudged her.

"They're watching that couple arguing in fascination." Ducky glanced over and sighed.

"I don't think its fascination, it's longing." The older man spotted a few young people around the couple trying to ignore it as best they could, obviously familiar with it. They watched the team approach and moved closer to hear what was going on.

"You think he wouldn't do this in public," a middle aged balding man said.

"House feels the room should watch and listen," another more happily looking man informed.

"Poor Cuddy," the brunette woman lamented. "It would be so much easier if she just fired him."  
"And we all know why that won't happen," a tall refined man said. Ducky watched as they turned to the team starring.

"It happens all the time," the woman commented to the spectators.

"It is familiar to us," Ducky heard Ziva answer.

"Reminds me of Mommy and Daddy," Abby sighed sadly.

"You're siblings?"

"Sure, Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, at your service, my sister Abby, her boy toy Probie McGee, and our Assassin Ziva," Tony introduced. The strangers glanced at the group. "She's almost as good looking as Je…"

"Tony!" Ziva scolded forcing his eyes off the woman arguing.

"You willingly listen to this?" The balding man asked amazed.

"You don't know what you have until its gone," Tony pointed it out. "I think I'd willingly listen to all the noise of slamming doors and red head temper if it meant life would go back to normal."  
"And what hospital are you with?" The woman inquired.

"Oh…uh NCIS, our medical examiner is here."

"NCIS?" The man with the cane turned to glance at the group. "You anything like that CSI posse?"  
"Only if your dyslexic," Tony responded.

"Tony," McGee hissed.

"I like you, Dr. Gregory House."

"Very special Agent Anthony DiNozzo."

"We're sorry for your loss," the woman beside him said gently the team looking surprised.

"And this voluptuous creature is Dr. Lisa Cuddy, our hospital administrator."

"Maybe I should've worked a little harder in school," Tony lamented.

"Ignore him," Abby said extending her hand. "Abby Scuito, thank you for your condolences."  
"Did you know our Director?" Ziva asked.

"Jenny and I met only a few times at Women Leadership Conferences," Dr. Cuddy answered.

"The knockout red head with the…"

"House!"

"Ah Cuddles are you jealous?"

"Dr. Cuddy we should really get moving," the brunette woman answered. She nodded and they said their goodbyes. Ducky watched on in amusement as the team watched them leave.

"How many ex-wives do you think he has?" Tony asked after a minute. "More than Gibbs?"  
"None," Ziva answered. "No way any woman could deal with that."  
"He was pretty accurate about…"

"Do NOT let Gibbs hear you say that," Abby warned. Tony cringed at the thought of the head slap that would get him. His phone rang.

"Speak of the Devil. Hi boss."

"_DiNozzo get back here, bring the team."_

"Boss wants us back."

"What for?"

"Guess we'll find out when we get there." They found Ducky watching them with Jordan and they left returning in rapid time, Tony complaining the whole way. They entered to find Gibbs at his desk, glaring at the coffee cup.

"Boss?" McGee called gently.

"Ziva find some real coffee, someone apparently thought it was funny to replace the regular with decaf," he nearly spat out the last word and the team cringed, while all wondering who in their right mind would break Rule 23.

"What about you Boss?"

"I'll be in the Director's office."

"Running errands for him," Tony mumbled but apparently not quiet enough as his head snapped forward. Gibbs kept going up stairs and through the doors to the office. "Any one else think Gibbs needs an attitude adjustment?"  
"He's in pain Tony!" Abby defended.

"Almost a year without mentioning her name. It's not going to work quite as well as the last time," Tony answered angrily. "If only she'd been an ex-wife."

"Oh bite your tongue," came the surprising demand from in front of him. Tony's head snapped up as he felt McGee and Abby's jaw drop. Ziva seemed unaffected.

"Nicely done, Tony," Ziva praised, turning to the woman in front of her. "They're in his…your…office."

"You asked for a coup DiNozzo, don't make me regret telling you I was alive."

"Never ma'am." They watched scale the stairs in the exceptionally high heels with the eyes of most the agency on her, before quickly running to catch up. Ducky opted to wait. They followed behind her as she walked straight past a shocked Cynthia and threw up the doors.

"Vance get the hell out of my chair!" She snapped and the Vance jumped up. "As for you Agent Gibbs, I seem to remember I told you to stay out of the media's way, torching a Georgetown home does not fit into those orders!"

"Mommy's home," Tony announced to his teammates who were watching the events with rapt attention.

"Cynthia, find someone to get rid of these toothpicks and get security to escort Assistant Director Vance to the airport!"

"Yes ma'am!" Cynthia responded happily.

"Agent DiNozzo!"  
"Ma'am?" Tony gulped.

"Don't you have a case to be working on?" Tony nodded slightly disappointed he wouldn't get to witness the rest of the reunion as she shooed him and the team out of the office. "And Tony?" He turned. "You and Ziva have my thanks."

Gibbs watched his team disappear down the corridor and Cynthia close the door behind them with a happy smile that he hadn't seen in months on her face. Vance had already been pushed out, the shell-shocked face still firmly in place. For his part as the door closed he felt his eyes move to the slim figure of the red head he had only seen in his dreams.

"You may speak," She said after moments of silence.

"What should I say?"  
"I think we can skip the, you haven't changed a bit bull," she teased attempting to lighten the tension.

"You have."

"Have I?"  
"I don't remember you being this beautiful," he said rather still in a daze and heard the words tumble out before his brain processed. He was quick to snap his mouth shut and study her reaction. A faint smile had taken residence along with might be surprise, he wasn't sure. He hadn't touched her yet, but it crossed his mind that it was all he really wanted to do.

"Well, that's not quite what I pictured you saying, but I'll take it," she replied a moment later. "I wasn't kidding about the arson thing though," she informed.

"I've been good since then," he assured.

"You didn't go after Vance when you had the opportunity, I suspect you know exactly what he's done."

"He wanted his friend to be a Marine."  
"He lied about whom he was."  
"Haven't we all?"  
"You know that's not all he's done."  
"I don't have proof," he told her taking a step closer.

"That's what you said two months ago," she sighed leaning back against her desk. He leaned slightly over her his hands resting on the desk brushing against her. "I'm tired of hiding."  
"That how DiNozzo convinced you to come back?"  
"He told me you were seeing someone, and you'd lost your mind," She replied, putting a sarcastic tone on the seeing someone.

"How did he find you?"  
"He was Agent Afloat, one of my communications to find out about your team happened to get to him, he had thought something was off, it helped. I never told him you knew, that it was your idea."

"Now, now, it was Franks' idea. Not mine." She sighed, leaning her head against his chest. He let one of his hands rest on her back rubbing soothing circles.

"Ziva found out, saw me on the street in Paris. She never came up but I got a postcard from Israel a few weeks later."

"She never mentioned it, neither did Tony."  
"I told them not to, if no one but you and I knew you knew, I thought you might be safe, that this wouldn't all be in vain."

"I haven't done everything I said I would, I need proof Jen."  
"You don't have to worry now, I saw SecNav, he's going to go after them in an attempt to murder a federal Director, even offered me a raise or a promotion."  
"Promotion?" He echoed knowing he was about to say goodbye again.

"Homeland Security, I didn't take it. He thinks I might be on the new administrations list for the new SecNav though, so we'll see. If that happens, maybe…"

"Right," Gibbs answered moving slightly back.

"Would you be okay with that?"  
"What?"  
"Would you be okay with me taking the SecNav position?" Gibbs stood silently for a minute before pulling her tightly to him and hugging her close.

"Whatever you want."  
"No, not anymore Jethro, we agreed to do this together," she reminded. "Unless you…"

"No, I…I just want you to be happy," he told her surprising her with the emotional tone of his voice. "I just…I didn't think this day would ever come, I'd been planning to retire, thought I'd join you out there."

"You don't want to retire Jethro."  
"I don't want to keep losing you."

"No more, not ever again, till death do us part."  
"Death is a likely to happen sooner than later."  
"All the more reason to enjoy what time we have," she told him tilting her head up to kiss his jaw line. He cupped her cheek in his palm and kissed her tenderly, his fingers running through her hair after a moment, deepening the kiss. They broke apart when air became necessary, wrapped up in each other. "Take me home?" He nodded wrapping his arm around her waist holding her close as he opened the door. He and Jenny stepped out of the falling mass that appeared as soon as the door opened. They looked down to find Tony and Abby on the ground in front of them, Ziva standing toward the side and McGee in the back.

"Apparently you need to work on your discipline," Gibbs teased.

"Clearly," she sighed. "You realize the four of you are grounded?"  
"What?" Abby gasped getting to her feet.

"I haven't been grounded in forever!" Tony whined.

"What is grounded?" Ziva asked

"Can I still go on my book tour?" McGee questioned. Gibbs shook his head in exasperation, pulling Jenny closer and leading her away from their wayward offspring.

"Gibbs!" They called after him. He stopped and turned to face them with a sly grin that they were surprised to see.

"Mommy's home now, whine to her." He felt Jenny jab him with her elbow before turning and laughing as he escorted her onto the elevator. She waved to the team as the doors closed.

"That wasn't very nice."  
"I'm the dad. I don't have to be nice. You can cuddle with them for a change."  
"I think I'd rather cuddle with you," she whispered leaning into him.

"I can live with that." They walked out to his car and got in. "So, where to?"

"Serbia?"

"Works for me."

--

Three days later McGee received a secure transmission stating that Mommy and Daddy were out of the country and they could not be reached unless World War III had occurred. He was to ensure a regular supply of Caf-Pows, shooting qualifications, and blondes were available for the remaining children, in return he would be permitted to go on an extended book tour. A separate transmission was sent to Ducky informing him they expected to see a ring on Dr. Hampton's finger when they got back, and to make sure Tony didn't end up on his table, courtesy of Ziva.

No response was given and the parents quite happily enjoyed the snow of Serbia. Cuddling in front for the fire teasing each other with tactics that would have made Freud himself blush.

THE END


End file.
